Managing your classroom, whether online or in-person, is never something easy to do. Online learning presents its own set of challenges. Here are some issues and ways to manage them.
Your students are not contributing to the classroom.
Interaction is CRITICAL – it can make or break the online environment.
“What students want: regular interaction between instructors and students , a student-centered approach and opportunities for students to learn on their own. The instructor must be willing to field questioned and engage students in group discussions. The emphasis is on the professor-student relationship over the bells and whistles.” (Carnevale, 2000)
My students are making inappropriate posts in the course.
All students in your class deserve the same treatment and deserve respect from both yourself and their peers. If students are making inappropriate posts in the class discussions, first remove the post from the forums. Next, notify the student that you removed the post and that future infractions will be reported to our schools Academic Integrity department chair.
My students are posting things that are off topic.
Remind the students of the reason for the online forum and that the occasional off-topic post is fine. If they want to further discuss items that are off topic, have the students use an different online forum, like Google Groups or Facebook.
One students is bullying another student in the class forums. (this could also apply to any form of harassment of one student, or group of students, to another.)
Again all students deserve respect in the online forums. If students are making treating posts in the class discussions, notify our schools Academic Integrity department chair and our online Safety and Security team. Do not remove the posts, but lock the discussions to ensure that all information and data can be collect. The Safety and Security team will remove the post within 3 hours. They are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. If you think it is harassment, it is better to report.
Basic "NETIQUETTE"
Keep posts brief and to the point. Use short paragraphs – they’re easier to read.
Encourage substantial posts, expect your students to post more than "I agree”
Do not type in all caps (think shouting)
Discourage extensive use of emoticons and online abbreviations
(Adapted from Finley, 2000)
Feedback
The number one complaint we get from students and teachers is, "I am expected to be online 24/7" Now that that is out in the open, relax. Remember this, "Students want “prompt unambiguous feedback – this can be difficult for instructors since students often work on the courses during the late evenings and weekends. Students and instructors need to learn to manage their expectations about when they should be able to have reliable fast communicative responses.” (Finley, 2000)
Here is our expectations:
Grades within 5 days of assignments being due/submitted
Reply to one students post at least 3 times a week.
To start you classes will be small so this should be easy. As your course load gets larger, budget time for this.
Your feedback or discussions should be about the content and the students understanding of the content. It's a good thing to develop relationships with your students, but please keep them professional.
See the "NETIQUETTE" tips above for helpful advice. This list isn't all inclusive but it is a good start.
Classroom Management
Managing your classroom, whether online or in-person, is never something easy to do. Online learning presents its own set of challenges. Here are some issues and ways to manage them.
Basic "NETIQUETTE"
(Adapted from Finley, 2000)
Feedback
The number one complaint we get from students and teachers is, "I am expected to be online 24/7" Now that that is out in the open, relax. Remember this, "Students want “prompt unambiguous feedback – this can be difficult for instructors since students often work on the courses during the late evenings and weekends. Students and instructors need to learn to manage their expectations about when they should be able to have reliable fast communicative responses.” (Finley, 2000)Here is our expectations: